Very thankful for the opportunity to read this book!

What it did well is that I truly was anxious and on the edge of my seat the entire time. It felt like a slow moving panic attack, honestly.

Which is great considering the genre. It did what it promised to do. If you want a book that feels like tentacles dragging you slowly underwater then you’ve found it.

However where it fell short for me was the inclusion of what I felt to be some rather unrealistic character choices. For an early example: how Sadie thought she could just leave her (very young) daughter unattended in their hotel room while she worked? Without even a baby monitor, but rather an walkie talkie? Obviously she didn’t end up doing that, but it was her plan all along. As a mother I found that so unrealistic, and that is just one example. Sadie is at times whip smart, and at others pretty incomprehensible in her choices. I had a hard time connecting with her because of this, unfortunately.

[arc review]
Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.
The Cut releases April 8, 2025

Pregnant with her second child, Sadie makes the decision to flee with her toddler from an abusive relationship.
Sadie settles down with a job as a housekeeper at L’Arpin Hotel, but soon finds herself with a new set of troubles to face.

<i>The Cut</i> is tense and chilling, with a main character who is constantly on edge. Not only does Sadie have to worry that her abusive ex might show up at any moment, but she also has to cope with unexplainable shadows and intermittent sounds of dripping water throughout the hotel. To make matters worse, her isolation is amplified when guests start disappearing and other suspicious things start happening, yet no one seems to believe her.

I loved the setting, but wanted more on the origin of the tentacles and why things had been going on for nearly two hundred years. The ending felt rushed, which lead to some character motivations being unclear and confusing. At times there seemed to be more staff than actual hotel guests, so it only made sense that they would have all been in on a secret, though there wasn’t much by way of explanation towards the end, especially in regard to Mr. Drye or Gertie.

cw: flashbacks of verbal abuse

Sadie’s determination and bravery shine through, even as the line between reality and nightmare blurs. The suspense and horror elements are executed with skill, creating a gripping read that keeps you on edge. This novel excels in delivering a spine-tingling experience while exploring themes of survival and resilience.